LONDON: Microsoft announced on Thursday that Internet Explorer, the company’s internet browser, is being retired after 27 years. The tech giant will no longer offer fixes or updates to the existing version of the web browser. The plan to halt updates was announced last year, making Internet Explorer 11 the final version. Some social media users took to Twitter to mourn “the end of an era,” sharing memes and images to commemorate the event. Microsoft users who want to stick with the browser are being advised to use its more advanced substitute, Microsoft Edge, which was introduced in 2015 with the launch of Windows 10. According to the tech giant, Edge is “a faster, more secure and more modern browsing experience than Internet Explorer,” while also remaining compatible with “older, legacy websites and applications.” Microsoft said access to its desktop browser will be maintained on older versions of Windows, including Windows 8.1, Windows 7 Extended Security Updates and limited versions of Windows 10. Internet Explorer launched on Microsoft Desktop computers in 1995 and gained control of 95 percent of the market by 2004. However, more advanced browsers such as Google Chrome, Freeware’s Opera and Apple’s Safari have recently become more dominant. Many believe that the rise of smartphones is to blame for the decline of Internet Explorer, given the introduction of built-in browsers such as Safari and Chrome.